A Chance at Family
by Nerissa
Summary: Chloe was a different person back in Metropolis and has come to live with the consequences. Now the one person she wanted back in her life returnes, how will the people of smallville handel this new addition and will the most unlikely person fall under he
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I have no money, Do not sue. AN: Hello peoples, this is my first attempted at writing a fan fiction that will be posted here or read by other people. so please be kind. if not rip it to shreds if you deem necessary. tank you.  
  
  
  
*********************** *Court room in Metropolis* ***********************  
  
"The defendant has shown herself to be of sane mind and health, she has removed herself from her previous life style and now lives a responsible and controlled life outside of the city. She is attending school full time, is at the top of her class and editor of her school news paper. She has shown she has matured enough to take care of this child, in this small town with the help of her father who has agreed to help out finically and emotionally for his daughter and granddaughter."  
  
"I have but a few reservations, In this past year, the defendant has been in some dangerous situations..."  
  
"Which have been completely out of her control your honour."  
  
"In this last year alone, your client has been attacked by to men she was seeing, kidnapped and buried alive, and thrown out a window."  
  
"Clearly showing that her custody is not a safe condition for the child in question, which brings back the reason for this hearing, what is best for this child"  
  
"What cannot be better for the child than to be with her mother."  
  
"Counsellors that's enough, I am the one who makes the ultimate decision here and i have heard all of this before. Now before you interrupt me further i would like to make that decision."  
  
The court room sat in silent anticipation while the judge decided the lives of three people. Breaths bated held making no sound as the whished and dreams could be made for one child wanting her own are granted or dashed as her child is held by a sister whom she thought would keep in contacted but never did.  
  
"My decision is made, and although it has not been an easy one it is my belief that the child in question would best be off in the custody of her natural birth mother."  
  
As the final verdict has been made the court room was filed with gasps, breathes being released, shouts of joy and pain, and crying as a little blond hair blue eyed six year old girl ran through the doors of the court room and into the arms of a mother she had not seen since she was two and shouted.  
  
"Mommy!"  
  
**************************************************************************** ********** *The next week* **************  
  
Chloe slowly wakes up as the sun sweeps in through her bed room curtains and covers her in a warm blanket of sun while the smell of fresh sweet flowers float in the air. She stands up and stretches to release the muscles in her back which have knotted in the night, slips on her fuzzy flower slippers and makes her way into the hall and into the adjacent room. Chloe leant against the door frame and silently watched as the most important person in her life slept under her heavy down comforter. Slowly she crept over to the bed and knelt down so she was at eye level with her little girl and ever so lightly touched her face. The little girl squirmed as she tried to snuggle further down into her blankets and stay asleep.  
  
"Come on sleepy head, wake up. it's your first day in your new home." Chloe said still bugging her six year old little girl.  
  
"Mommy, me seep." said the little girl while trying to stifle a yawn.  
  
"Oh, pleeeaase wake up. please, please, please, please, please, please, please." Chloe begged as she bounced up and down on her daughters bed. "Please, i want to make waffles."  
  
At the sound of the delicious breakfast food, Chloe's daughter shot up from her slumber and shrieked. "Waffles, Yummy." Chloe laughed at her daughter as she started to bounce along with her. Chloe grabbed her daughters little hand and together they bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen to make themselves some breakfast.  
  
Twenty minutes latter the two women were covered head to toe in flour, and batter, but had some great waffles to show for there troubles.  
  
"Wow, i don't know what's better, making the waffles or eating them." said Chloe, as she fell down into the kitchen chair with a pile of waffles, her daughter bringing over to other plates for them to use and suryp.  
  
"So now, what are we missing?" the little girl asked. Chloe looked around and got up.  
  
"Well, how about i get the icing sugar and milk to drink, and you can..." but before she could finish her sentence she was cut off by the sound of the door bell. "get the door." finished Chloe.  
  
"okay mommy." replied the little girl, jumping up and running into the living room towards the front door. Upon reaching the door, the little girl opened up the heavy wood door to reveal an immaculately dressed bald man. The three foot two inch little girl looked up then quickly turned on her heals sending a wave of blond curls bouncing on her shoulder as she ran back towards the kitchen yelling. "Mommy, there's a big bald man at the door!"  
  
Chloe stepped of the kitchen with a puzzled look on her face trying to determine who was at the door when she stopped dead in her track and saw Lex Luthor at her front door. A million thought run through her head of how she is to explain the fact that she has a six year old daughter, then got angry with herself since she had nothing to explain.  
  
"Mr. Luthor, um my father has already left for the plant" Chloe stated shaking her head.  
  
"Trying to get rid of me Miss Sullivan, and for the last time, it's Lex." said Lex patronizingly.  
  
"Fine Lex, then the same to you. and now i ask what pray tell are you doing here?" replied Chloe just as sweet and just as fake.  
  
"You expect me to tell someone my business who is covered from head to tow in what I can only guess is flour." Lex stated with a smirk.  
  
"Whom." Chloe corrected, with a smirk of her own. "And if you will not tell me what you are doing here, my daughter and I have just finished making waffles, as you can tell" Chloe gestured to her flour coved tank top, and cloud pyjama pants, and fuzzy flower slippers. "And we were just about to eat them when you rang the door bell and prevented us from doing so, so you can either stand there and tell me why you are here or you can come into the kitchen, sit down, eat some waffles, and then tell us. Your choice." Chloe stated as she turned back towards the kitchen. Lex looked on as the blond intrepid reported bounded into the kitchen, then looked down to find a smaller blond with just as much energy as the one who just left the room tugging on his hand.  
  
"Come on Mr. Bald guy, the waffles are really, really good, and i want some before mommy eats them all." said the blond fire cracker as she pulled Lex into the kitchen, and he could not help but let out a slight chuckle at the antics of this little girl and thought that of what he knew of her mother he could see where she gets her energy. Then it dawned on him. That Chloe Sullivan, his plant managers seventeen year old daughter, and one of his friend Clarks best friends, intrepid reporter of the high school torch, has a daughter. 


	2. Off to Breakfast

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I have no money, Do not sue. AN: Hello peoples, this is my first attempted at writing a fan fiction that will be posted here or read by other people. so please be kind. if not rip it to shreds if you deem necessary. tank you.  
  
  
  
As Lex was being dragged into the kitchen he spotted Chloe on the other side of a four seated table placing some waffles onto a third plate. She looks up from what she was doing and simply spoke "Are you going to just stand there all day, or are you going to sit down and eat." as she placed her flour covered hands on her even more flour covered hips, distorting her shirt and revealing the slightest amount of her toned stomach.  
  
"Actually Chloe, I had just stopped by to pick up some folders you father had left behind but was to ... busy ... to ... get ... them, what is she doing." Lex asked as he looked behind Chloe at a little girl balancing on a precariously tottering chair reaching into a cupboard. Chloe looked over her shoulder and caught her breath as she saw her daughter was about to fall from the chair.  
  
"Oh my god!" Chloe breathed then twisted and jumped to catch her falling daughter, both landing in a tumble of tangled limbs and blond hair. Both sat there stunned a moment before braking into a fit of laughter at there latest predicament. Slowly getting up and out of there tangles so as not to hurt themselves Chloe started to speak to Lex.  
  
"Um, okay, uh, if you just let me wash my hands here I will run up stairs and look for these files. uh, any idea of what I'm actually looking for?" Chloe asked as she stood in front of the kitchen sink scrubbing her hands to rid them of the flour.  
  
"Yes, actually, they are the quarterly annual reports on the maximum out put of the plant that need to be run to the accountant that he left behind." Lex stated still a bit dumbfounded at the whole situation.  
  
"Ah, yes, important one. Makes since that he would forget them. I'll be right back." Said Chloe as she left the kitchen and turned down a hall and headed to the stairs leading to the upper portion of the house leaving Lex alone in the kitchen with a rather perecousiose little girl.  
  
"Are you a friend of my mommy's?" She asked as she rocked back on her heals.  
  
"Actually, I'm a friend of a friend of your mothers, and your grandfathers boss." Lex replied a little unsure of what to do. In all of his twenty-one years he never was sure how to treat children, The way he was treated was most definitely out of the question, but for someone who lived by past experience had none in this area. So to say the least he was a little unnerved. At that thought Lex almost chucked. A Luthor unnerved by a six year old, now there's the tabloid headline of the century.  
  
"So your grandpa's boss?" she asked still rocking.  
  
"Yes." replied Lex  
  
"And who's friend of mom's are you friends with?" She asked still rocking.  
  
"Clarks" He answered.  
  
"Clarks?" she asked puzzled, still rocking.  
  
"Yaeh," he stated shortly. "Are you sure you should be rocking like that?"  
  
"Sure, why not?" she asked, still rocking.  
  
"Just, that you might fall again. I'm not all that clear on your ability of balance." Lex replied just as she was about to fall. Three quick steps however and he prevented another spill as he quickly grabbed a hold of her hand and steadied her. "See."  
  
The little girl became filled with laughter again at the sight of the serious face of Lex Luthor. "Okay, now why are you laughing?" Lex asked.  
  
"Cause ... Your funny." She replied still laughing. "Your a funny bald man, and I'm hungry." She let go of his hand and sat in a chair, then started eating her waffles which were now becoming cold. "Ewe, cold," the little girl whimpered. "Now look what you did."  
  
"And what did I do?" Asked Lex as looked on to the puzzling little girl before him.  
  
"You! You interrupted mommy and me from our warm delicious waffles and now there cold ... gross ... waffles. and I'm hungry." She pouted as she dropped her fork to her plate. Lex smirked a little then walked over to the closet next to the front door, grabbed a little pink coat and walked back to the kitchen then tossed it to the little girl. Just then Chloe came running down the stairs with the folder and jumped behind the table, slid Lex the folder and turned to her daughter.  
  
"That stupid spider, in that stupid window, I swear it was watching me the entire time i was up there. Why do you have your jacket?" she asked.  
  
Her daughter looked up at Lex then shrugged her shoulders. Chloe turned to Lex and raised her eyebrows questionly. Lex took the folder and looked at Chloe.  
  
"Grab your jacket." He simply stated.  
  
"What, Why?" Asked Chloe as she furrowed her eye brows.  
  
"Because, as your every so persuasive daughter has told me that I had ruined you breakfast, and by the look of it, took you quite a bit of trouble to make, I am apologizing by taking you out to breakfast." He stated.  
  
"Yay!" Shouted the little girl jumping, sending a dust of flour to the floor as she fell yet again.  
  
"Excuse me?" Asked Chloe looking a little more than puzzled.  
  
"I said, I am taking you and your daughter, who by the way I do not even know her name out to breakfast since my presence has ruined the one you have planned." stated Lex smoothly.  
  
Chloe, with a slight smile forming on her lips as she tries not to laugh at the situation and replies, "So let me get this straight. You, are going to take us out to breakfast because a six year old, who by the way is named Leigh (AN: pronounced Lee) made you feel guilty." finally laughing.  
  
"Okay, she did not make me feel guilt, I just thought that it was the polite thing to do." Lex replied with a tilt of his head slightly raised eye brows. However Chloe was not about to let this drop. It was just to funny.  
  
"So you think that just because you ruined our breakfast that all you have to do is take us out and all will be forgiven?" Chloe asked trying hard not laugh. Leigh catches on to her mothers game jumps in to play.  
  
"Yeah, Just because your grandpa's boss, you think you can just boss us around?" she asked copying her mothers stance.  
  
"Yeah," Replied Chloe looking at Lex with was suppose to be an abashed look as if she were both angered and insulted. Lex catching on after that last pitiful Yeah, rolled his eyes, and turned around and started to walk away without a word. Chloe turned to Leigh.  
  
"I don't think he know how to play." She stated as Leigh dropped her hand and ran to the front entrance to stop Lex from leaving only to hear Chloe call out from the kitchen, "Don't fall."  
  
"wait, stop, wait, don't go." Leigh called as she tried to stop before she literally ran into Lex. Turning around, Lex tried not to laugh as he helped the girl to stop. Leigh looked up as she spoke. "Do not listen to mom, I'm hungry, she's insane, if you leave me with her I'll starve, and waist away into notingness, and die, and it will all be because you wouldn't feed me." With an overdramatic flare, her hand to her for head as if she were to faint from starvation. after that little display Chloe walks out of the kitchen with a dazzling smile as she looks at her daughters antics to get food and slightly laughs, slightly cries, then quickly pushes those memories away, refusing to go back there But not quick enough for a flicker of emotion to cross her face and be seen by Lex.  
  
"So, are you going to come to breakfast with me or are you going to cause your daughters death due to starvation" asked Lex as he looked at Chloe. She stood there for a minute before talking.  
  
"You really are no fun to play with." She stated crossing her arms once again.  
  
"Sorry to say, but your just going to have to try a little harder if plan on manipulating me in the future. I feed off of mind games." Stated Lex.  
  
"Yes well, I had to keep it simple so Leigh could play along." Chloe said indicating her daughter who seemed to have look of pure indignation. Chloe looks over and ruffles her daughters hair.  
  
"Oh, so your attempts and failure at trying to mess with my head is your daughters fault." Lex nodded. "Okay, so are you coming to breakfast with me or not?" Chloe looked at herself and her daughter, covered still head to flour, wearing cloud pyjama bottoms, and a tank top.  
  
"Sure if you don't mind going to breakfast with two women covered in flour and wearing their pyjamas." Chloe stated while placing her hands on her hips. Leigh looked at herself covered in flour, then to her mothers flour slippers and laughed. Lex looked between the two, shrugged his shoulders and simply stated.  
  
"I've seen worse." then with that said he grabbed what he presumed to be Chloe's jacket, and opened the door waiting for them to exit before him, and with that they were out the door and headed towards Lex midnight blue Porsche. 


	3. In the car

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I have no money, Do not sue. AN: Hello peoples, this is my first attempted at writing a fan fiction that will be posted here or read by other people. so please be kind. if not rip it to shreds if you deem necessary. tank you.  
  
As they drove, Lex pondered the questions which were flying around in his head, looking for an escape and their answers. However, not completely comfortable with his curiosity about this little tidbit of information he so accidentally came upon left the questions until he was sure he really wanted or cared to know, so he decided to just sit back and listen as Leigh rambled on in the back seat. Looking over at Chloe as she talked adamantly with her daughter he tried to wait patiently for a break in their conversation to ask were they wished to eat but quickly realised that with all the patients he had, he would wait until he was dead before they stopped, so deciding he would like to get this little guilt trip over with, because frankly these two were tiring, decided to interrupt.  
  
"So, were would the two of you care to eat?" Lex asked as he looked imploringly at Chloe.  
  
"Don't look at me, this impromptu breakfast outing was your idea. I was fine staying back at the house eating my waffles." Chloe huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt at being annoyed, However that was proving to be a difficult task as long as her daughter was beside her. Lex looked at her with raised eyebrows.  
  
"If you wish to go back and eat cold waffles, then by all means, I will take you back." As that was said there was a screech from the back seat.  
  
"Okay, mister baldly, I thought I told you not to listen to mom, she is insane. she'll have me starve, she will." stated Leigh as her little hands grasped at Lex's insanely expensive suit jacket.  
  
"Okay, did my daughter just refer to you as mister baldly?" asked Chloe as she tried not to laugh, resting her elbow on the window jam slightly covering her mouth with her hand as she looked over at Lex out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"actually, back at the house, I was Mr. Bald Man." Lex stated, tightening his grip on the steering wheel and looking straight ahead.  
  
"Well, then if you are not going to say anything to stop her, then I for one will not prevent her." she replied with grin that could have brought light to a brown out.  
  
"Thank you very much." Lex replied tightly, not tearing his eyes from the road.  
  
"So,"  
  
"No, you cannot call me by the same." Lex stated, cutting off Chloe as predicted her next question.  
  
"Oh fine, you big party pooper, I said it once and I will say it again, you Mr. Luthor, are no fun." Chloe pouted as she looked out the window. Lex chuckled at her antics but held fast to his decision, but started to wonder how much more he didn't know about Miss. Sullivan, then wondered if Clark knew about Chloe's other half.  
  
"So Clark." Lex inquired.  
  
"What about him."  
  
"Does he know." Lex looked in the rear-view mirror at the little blond who looked a little put out at not being able to talk to anybody. Chloe followed his gaze to the back seat slouched a little in the plush leather chair and let out a slow deep breath.  
  
"Truthfully, you are the only one who knows about her yet." Chloe answered ruefully.  
  
"Really?" asked Lex a little shocked about this new revelation. "How exactly is that possible, is Clark not your best friend."  
  
"One of them yes, but he's only known me from the time i've lived in Smallville, my life back in Metropolis is completely uncharted territory for the members of our leafy little hamlet here. To everybody here, I'm just the snarky high school paper editor and aspiring journalist who seems to know everybody's business." Chloe answered.  
  
"A defence mechanism." Lex stated.  
  
"What is?" Questioned Chloe, with what can only be gauged as a truly curious look setting upon her face.  
  
"Knowing everybody's Business, It's a defence mechanism, It prevents you from being surprised or caught off guard, if you know everything, you can predict the possible outcome of something, and prevent yourself from getting into something you can't get yourself out of." Lex answered casually as he looked around and spotted the only diner in Smallville and parked his car. Getting out of the vehicle Chloe looked over the roof at Lex as he held the door open for Leigh.  
  
"The problem is, that nobody can know everything Lex, and sometimes things happen that you don't expect." Chloe replied. To this Lex answered truthfully.  
  
"That is correct, which is why you try to learn the most you can about everything you can, if when something happened to which you never in your life expected, you still will be able to land on your feet and take care of yourself." As he finished Lex looked across the car roof as Leigh grabbed a hold of her mothers hand and smiled brightly up at her and at that moment he thought he might truly understand the usually in understandable Chloe Sullivan just a little bit better then before. As he walked up the side walk and opened the door for the two to walk in before him, he wondered just what Clark and the rest of the Smallville populace would think when they met the miniature Chloe, and who the father is of this precocious little girl, And with that last thought, the door to the diner closed and they waited to be seated. 


	4. Breakfast for forty

I apologize greatly for my absence in the recent years and will now try to finish the story, hopefully in a timely matter.

As they walked into the dinner Chloe instantly froze in place. She never once thought about how the three of them out together would appear to the rest of smallville's clandestine citizens. Glancing towards Lex, she new he was thinking the same thing, reaching out she gently touches the sleeve of his suit jacket and whispers to him.

"Maybe we should go, Just take Leigh and I back, we'll.." Lex cut her off saying.

"Why miss Sullivan, I never once thought you to be the one to back down from the small town gossip chain." With a raised eyebrow Lex challenged her to back down.

"I'm not one to back down from anything mister Luther, however I do not wish for my daughter to have to deal with the small minded and sometimes bigoted actions of some of the cheery townsfolk." Chloe replied with more of an air of fear in he highly angered whispers toward Lex.

"To late to back out now," was all Lex's reply as he looked over to the little girl following the young waitress he remembered once worked with Lana at the Talon. Chloe followed Lex's eyes to her daughter as she skipped happily along with Sam, singing about waffles.

Chloe shook her head and whispered under her breath "hear goes nothing."

The minute the three of them took there seats the room buzzed with whispers. "Who's the kid."

"It can't be hers"

"is it theirs"

"did they kidnap her"

"just like a Luther hey, knock up a little girl like that."

"know that's the nosey one from the city."

"City people dirtying up our little town with there filth."

The Whispers continued with Chloe fuming over there accusations about her and about Lex. How dare they insinuate anything. Looking towards her daughter she becomes instantly calm, seeing as none of the whispers seem to make it to her ears and she is busy demanding that the waitress bring them all blueberry waffles with extra maple syrup.

Amazed at the emotions that splayed across Chloe's face and how Leigh seemed to be completely oblivious to everything.

"thank god for small blessings." Lex mussed nodding toward Leigh when Chloe looked at him.

"she's never let things to get to her. I'm glad she doesn't care or pay attention to was people say or gossip about. And hey, she's six and wants waffles." Chloe replied with a soft laugh.

"The one track mind defiantly runs in the family then."

"How do you mean?" Chloe look across at Lex, her head slightly tilted to the side, a habit she picked up from Lana that always made Chloe think of a dog when you spoke it's name.

"Your father I mean. when he has a plan for the plant he doesn't leave me alone until he makes sure I fully understand all the implications it could have for us. And from the stories I get from Clark when you want something you usually don't stop till you get it. The one track mind and stubbornness, it all runs in the family."

"Yhea, Guess your right, but you can't say that that's a bad thing."

"No you can't" as Lex finished the food arrived. Pancakes and Waffles galore. Neither of them truly listening to exactly what it was the Leigh had ordered them for breakfast. Looking down at their loaded table and the two waiters still standing with trays loaded with food, Lex and Chloe laughed out loud as the stood to bring over a second table to accommodate them. And sat down to enjoy there food.


	5. Rabbits and Drives

The alarm clock rang and Chloe jumped out of bed with a start. Leigh was already sitting at the foot of the bed all dressed and ready to go.

"Come on mommy, he'll be hear any minute and your late." Leigh squealed as she tried to pull her mother out of bed.

"I'm coming. I'm coming, geez. I'll be down in 5 min. go wait for Lex at the door."

It's been two weeks since Lex showed up for their impromptu Breakfast, yet somehow it has turned into a daily outing. Know one else in town has yet to meet Leigh surprisingly enough. The patrons at their morning dinner haven't dared speak a word about there new daily guests, but Chloe had a suspicion that it had something to do with Lex forgetting his pen behind and subsequently having to spend five minutes in the dinner searching for it by himself. What ever the reason behind it, Chloe didn't care. She wasn't quite ready for the whole town to know her whole story and Leigh was happy with the way things were. She wasn't board and asking to meet her other friends.

"Mr. Baldies here!" came a screech from downstairs. Chloe hopped to the window as she tried to slip her foot inside her boot. Looks out and sees Lex just stepping from his car. Black trench coat billowing out behind him as a gust of wind picks up throws the fall leaves about him. She finishes with her boot and runs down the stairs to catch Leigh as she runs out the door straight to Lex.

"Hey kid. How are you this morning?" Lex asks as he bends down to straighten her hat.

"Good." was all she replied as she ran and jumped into Lex's porche.

"Hello Lex." Greeted Chloe as she locked the door behind her.

"Chloe, so how has your morning been?"

"Fine thank you," Chloe paused mid sentence to look at Lex, something wasn't right. "Why" she asked slowly, not fully wishing for the answer.

"nothing, just"

"just, just what?"

"Just"

"okay, spit it out Luther." yet before he had the chance a little head poked out from the car screaming "mom why are you wearing a sock on your shoulder."

"What," Chloe looked down and smirked, "well now that could have been a whole lot worse."

"That true." Replied Lex with a smirk. He reached over and grabbed Chloe's hand and pulled her towards the car as Chloe relieved the sock from its static home on her shoulder. As she finally came to a stop on her side of the car and settles in, she falls into the comfortable silence they all seemed to obtain when together. Lex Pulls out of the drive way of the Luther corps. Homes and turns down the road, after a couple minutes Chloe looks out the window and notice's they are now know where near the dinner and they are currently heading in the wrong direction.

"So what's up here. Ware are we going?" Chloe asks as she looks around. Leigh jumps up out of her seat to see where they were. Lex looks over towards Chloe as she reaches back to place Leigh back into the seat and tells her to do her seat belt back up. He shakes his head and for the twelfth time that morning he asks himself why he didn't just call and cancel. As Chloe settles back down into her seat she looks back over to Lex and waits for his reply.

"Well now, I have got a business meeting I need to be at for 12:00 today, and if I took the time to go to the dinner with you I would blatantly missed it, so instead I am taking you to breakfast in Metropolis with me."

"And while your at your meeting we will be doing what?" Chloe asked a little unsure of what to expect. Truthfully Lex didn't know what they were going to do while he was in his meeting. All he knew was that he didn't want to miss there breakfast this morning, even for a bloody meeting. But looking over the Chloe and she surprisingly waited patiently for him to answer.

"We'll I thought that I might drop you two off at that giant toy store. It's just around the corner from the office building and you to can hang out a play while I'm gone. And the Kid can choose what ever toy she want."

"Oh god Lex, you so don't need to do that. If we where that much of an inconvenience"

"No! no, Chloe, you and Leigh are no inconvenience to me what so ever. I just kind of got use to actually eating breakfast every morning." was Lex's quick reply.

"you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You should never miss it." came a little voice from the back of the car. Lex looked into the rear-view mirror to see a pair of startling green eyes staring back at him matter-of-factly, And Lex chuckled at the startling resemblance to her mother. That girl was going to be a force to be reckoned with when she's older.

A few hours latter and Lex pulled up to the front door of the Luther Corp office building. Once inside he strode purposefully to the elevators and went to the top floor of the office building. As the elevator slowly made it's way between floors Lex couldn't help but think about the look on Leigh's face as she saw the outside of the Smiths Toy Company. Chloe laughing as she was trying to hold back her daughter from running inside and loosing her for the next couple of hours. The elevator finally came to a stop and the doors slid open to reveal the long hallway leading down to the pretty secretary and to the doors, with who on the other side waited the people with whom he was to meet. The newest company he wished to buy out and solidify Luther corp. as his company once and for all. After the take over was complete there would be no way his father could take claim of the company. Yet for some reason Lex couldn't seem to make his feet walk forward. He stood there for how long, he really didn't know but when he finally found himself with the ability of motion, it wasn't to bring him forward but back down to the lobby and out the front door. Lex sat down into his car and started wondering what exactly it is that he was doing. He just left a multibillion dollar deal to what, hang out with a seventeen year old girl and her six year old daughter. What the hell was he doing. This really shouldn't be happening, he should turn around and go back to work. He should be signing the papers enabling him to take control and start dismantling that company for his won profit, but instead of that he was now pulling up to the Smith toy company and shutting off the engine. Collecting his thoughts Lex steadied himself and cleared his thoughts as he stepped out of the car and entered the toy store.

Once they entered the store, Leigh took off at a fast pace down one of the many aisles. It took all of Chloe's speed to keep up with her daughter as she ran from shelf to shelf, looking at different toys and picking things up and placing them back. She couldn't believe that she could choose anything she wanted. This place was wonderful and amazing, she really didn't know what to think, For miles all she could see were toys of different shapes and sizes. The were board games and model trains and teddy bears and dolls, make-up sets and wood burning kits. To miniature cars that she could ride in to stuffed animals that would need their own car. Leigh was in heaven as she searched the shelves of toys. Chloe finally caught up to her daughter when she was finally stopped dead in her tracks. Following her gaze she found her self looking at was almost seemed to be a library in the middle of a toy store. Leigh slowly walk over the tombs of volumes as if she were in a trance. One of the most noticeable qualities that both

Chloe and Leigh shared were the love of books. Every night Chloe would sit down and read a chapter of the newest book they purchased. This time they were in the middle to kill a mocking bird. Leigh was enraptured with the story and intrigued about who was placing things into the tree. But now she was moving towards the most beautifully decorated book she has ever seen.

"Mommy" Leigh whispered in slight awe. "Isn't it the most pretty thing you have ever seen."

"Yes baby," and it was, a first edition of The Velveteen Rabbit, bound in leather with a blue satin ribbon tying it closed. Leigh waked up to the glass case that housed the book and slowly read,

"The Ve-l-the vle-vet velvet-teen, the Velveteen Rabbit. Is that right mommy."

"that is absolutely right," Chloe replied as she knelt down beside her to get a closer look at the book. "You know baby, that was mommy's absolutely favourite book when she was little. She use to beg your grandpa every night to read it to me."

"really," Leigh's eyes grew even wider at that story, not only was this the most pretty book that she had ever seen, it was also her mommy's favourite. "can I get it?" was her first question. Chloe looked a little closer at the book, the price was set at eight hundred dollars. Chloe turned to Leigh and stood up.

"Mabey we can find a different copy."

"but why?"

"Cause baby, it's a little out of mommy's price range."

"but mister Lex said that I could get a toy."

"yes, but not one that cost eight hundred dollars."

"Oh, is it really that much?" Leigh asked with her head down and her voice small. Chloe hated seeing the disappointment in her daughters face, but she defiantly could not afford to bye the book for her and there was know way that she was going to ask Lex for it.

And that was something he knew for a fact. Lex stood just out of sight as he watch Chloe and Leigh walk away from the books and down another isle. He slowly walked over to where they were standing to take a better look at this amazing book that was Chloe's favourite and that Leigh fell in love with it.

'Eight hundred dollars, no wonder Chloe told her no." Lex walked to the front desk, talked to the clerk and then left the store and waited for Chloe and Leigh to finish in the store. An Hour latter the two of them came walking out, Leigh holding a teddy bear to her chest, her face still a little crestfallen. Chloe and Leigh walked to the car and opened the door, and the two of them climbed in and sat down. Chloe looked behind her to check on Leigh's seatbelt when she noticed the book sitting between her and Lex.

"Where did that come from?" Chloe whispered

"What that, I asked the desk clerk up front for it."

"Why, You don't really seem the type of person to read the velveteen rabbit."

"Actually, It was my favourite book as a kid."

"really?"

"Really."

"okay then, more power to you." and Chloe sat back and stared out the window as if that was the end of the conversation. Lex started straight ahead as he steered the car down the street. In the back seat however Leigh was a jumble of nerves bouncing in her seat, having a really hard time controlling herself, biting down on her bottom lip as her legs jumped in place, she was sitting up as tall as she could with her eye brown drawn together, all in anxious excitement, till finally she could no longer take it.

"Mommy, he was in the story when we were looking at the book, I saw him, he was spying on us."

Chloe turned to Lex, an eyebrow raised and a slight smirk on her face.

"Spying on us now were you Mr. Luther. Now why would you be doing that when you were suppose to be at a meeting."

"You saw me there?"

"Me, no, Leigh saw you there, Your one of her favourite people, she would spot you anywhere."

"I guess I will just have to remember that from now on." Lex replied with a smile as he picked up the book from between them and tossed it Chloe. "So you can read it to her every night."

"You really shouldn't have done this Lex, it's to much."

"Hey, I wasn't lying when I said that it was one of my favourites. Every child should be read that story by a parent." Lex responded as he pulled the Porsche onto the highway back to Smallville. Chloe looks down and traces the outline of the book. The soft supple brown leather binding, The Ice blue satin ribbon, that rapped around the cover to tie the story closed, to keep every precious syllable of the Velveteen Rabbit safe in the confines of the leather coverings. Chloe peeks into the rear-view mirror and softly smiles as Leigh sleeps soundly on the soft plush upholstery of the car.

"Thanks Lex," It was barley above a whisper but he caught it with no problem. No reply came from him, and Lex new no reply was expected, so he just sat back and enjoyed the ride back home, He would worry about the consequences of his actions at a latter date, right now he was content to just drive.


	6. Times Up!

Times Up.

Lex sat down next to Chloe in the Talon as she polished of another venti cup of mocha and punished the table with her repetitive taping of her pen.

"So now what did the table do to deserve such an annoying habit to befall it."

"Huh." was Chloe's responds as she was pulled out of her thoughts. "Lex, when did you get here?"

"About five minutes ago, Chloe I'm hurt, usually everybody notices me the minute I walk into a building."

"Well it couldn't of hurt you that much, your ego is still fully intact." Chloe snarked back.

"Well, yeah, it would defiantly take more then a little blond reporter to defunct my ego."

"Hey now, who are you calling little."

"Well correct me if I'm wrong but you are like 5 ft 3. Are you not"

"You are so not in the position to talk mister 5 ft 10."

"Hey at least I can reach over the counter."

"I am not that short!" Chloe spoke loudly as she threw her napkin Lex's head. Lex however caught the napkin with ease.

"So what is up with you."

"Not much, just a little preoccupied with the whole school starting back up again tomorrow and facing everyone with the truth of Leigh and introducing her into this world, to these people."

"To Clark you mean"

"Clark is mister upstanding morels, and so is Lana, they are like Mr. And Mrs. Clause. They never so much as talk out of turn. How are they going to look at me now when I show up with a six year old daughter."

"Are you ashamed of her" Lex cut her off before she could finish.

"What no, of course not. Why would you."

"Think that, because your acting scared about what others are going to think about you for having your daughter, that is defiantly not the Chloe I know."

"Hey now. I Have worked my ass off trying to turn, my life around and getting to were I am today and have the friends that I have, good friends who go out of there way to help others and genuinely care about other people. And of course I am not ashamed of my daughter, If I was I would not have fought for the last three years to get her back. I am defiantly not ashamed of my daughter, I am ashamed of myself for my life that lead up to her. A life that I do not whish to rehash with anybody and one that I do not want to have linked with me for the rest of my time in this town. To have everybody know who I was and stare at me and prosecute my daughter for my mistakes." Chloe was now almost near tears and her voice horse from the whispered yelling as she sat back in the booth and grab Lex's coffee and drinks what was left. "I didn't really make the best decisions back then, My mother and I were…"

"Your mother, what does your mother."

"nothing" Chloe quickly interrupted Lex's line of questioning and got up and left the talon as fast as she could leaving a very baffled Lex looking into an empty cup of mocha.

Once outside, Chloe started pacing back and forth trying to calm her nerves. Her conversation with Lex almost led somewhere she was not willing to go. How could she have been stupid enough to have let that slip. She didn't want anybody knowing anything, especially Lex, That was the last thing that she needed. But that was all about to change now wasn't it. Tomorrow she was going to have to stop ignoring everyone. Time to face the music that was Clark and Lana And the rest of the town. They were all going to find out, but probably better to get it over with right, just like a band aid, fast and pain free, only this time the pain comes from the questions, Lex never asked any questions, he just let it all be, she could just hope for the same response from the others.


	7. Introductions

Introductions:

So here they were. It was 7:15 in the morning and the two of them stood outside of Clarks kitchen door. Chloe had asked for Lana to meet her there since she had some big news to share with everyone. Chloe was shaking from head to foot and only calmed when she felt the slight fingers of Leigh's left hand slide smoothly in to her right, and was suddenly struck with Lex's words from the other night. _"Your not Ashamed of her are you" _ she straightened herself up and smiled down at Leigh and walked into the house that seemed so much like a second home to her and made the introductions.


	8. confronting clark

confronting clark.

"Chloe has a daughter!"

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that fact yes. Our Chloe has a daughter."

"How did this happen."

"Well Clark you see when and boy and girl"

"Ha ha ha ha. So not funny. I mean how did she have a daughter for so long and not tell us. Why wouldn't she tell us."

"Well as she is so fond of telling you, everyone has secrets Clark." See you latter

"Yeah, see you latter Lana." Clark continued down the hallway towards the torch office when he heard laughing from the other side of the door. Softly he knocked and stepped inside. Chloe was holding Leigh steady as she was reaching up unpinning articles off of Chloe's wall of weird.

Leigh was laughing at all the strange things that seem to happen. Clark cleared his throat.

"Clark, what brings you here so early, usually I don't get your piece until after lunch."

"um yeah, actually you still will, I just wanted to stop by and uh… Why!"

"Why? Why what." Chloe asked back acting puzzled although she new exactly what why he was asking. Why didn't she tell him, why did she tell him with everyone else around. Why didn't she trust him enough with this."

"Chloe" Clark looked so distraught and down trodden.

"Not now Clark, I have to get Leigh over to the elementary school before she is late." and with that she left the room with Leigh in tow asking if she really had to go to school today.

Clark walks over to the window to watch the two of them as they enter the parking lot, as he hears Leigh yell and laugh as she runs towards a man at the other end of the lot. Clark stands up straight and narrows his eyes as he realizes who it is that now has Chloe's daughter in his arms and promptly storms out of the torch office as the school bell rings to signal the start of first period.


End file.
